about
Yaga’s Children’s Fund started as a cook-off in 1997 with the intention of creating a family-oriented two-day event in the downtown district. The event grew year by year, and in 2002, 22 teams participated with an overall attendance greater than 3,000, generating $20,000 towards charitable donations. That year, YCF was officially formed and became a non-profit 501(c)(3).
Throughout the 29 years of the event and entering its 30th year, YCF has allocated over 2 million dollars to Galveston County charities. The YCF board works year-round to review grant applications, spread awareness, raise money, and plan our premier event, The Wild Game BBQ Cook-off, every Spring!
our Mission
Yaga’s Children’s Fund was established to be a fundraising vehicle for the charities in Galveston County that benefit children directly. We know we aren’t the experts and want to enable those who are to do an outstanding job. On average, for every 1$ donated to YCF, $1.71 is donated to charity. That’s a 71% return on every dollar given to the fund. This makes YCF quite unique. According to Non-Profit Connect, the average Charity’s Return on Investment (ROI) is 35 cents per dollar. There are no salaries for board members, no expensive feel-good galas, no endowments or wasted expenses. Typically, each year starts with $5,000 in the bank to handle any administrative costs and give us the capital necessary to get the Wild Game Cook-off started.
Yaga’s Children’s Fund is strict on what we will provide grants for. Grants cannot be used for administrative costs (rent, salaries, etc.). Grants are normally allocated to specific programs, such as Youth Gardening programs, or to buy specific equipment needs. The overarching goal is to provide grants in the most direct fashion with the most immediate impact.